By Rich Vleck, OHSWEKEN, Ontario, (September 15, 2007)- It was a third edition of the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals, but the end result was strikingly similar to prior year’s edition.

Steve Poirier, of St. Mathieu de Beloeil, Quebec, successfully defending the title of Canadian Sprint Car Nationals Champion, scoring the $7,000 top prize on Saturday Night in the third running of Canada’s Most Prestigious Sprint Car Event. Last year it might have been a little surprising to see the Industries FM No. 28fm put it in Victory Lane at the end of the 30-lap feature, this time around, very few of those packed into the Ohsweken Speedway were startled.

“I don’t know what it is, but we are just really good at this track,” said Poirier in Victory Lane, still attempting to come to grips with the feat he had just pulled off. “I never had dreams about winning this for a second time, we have set new goals for this year and now to win this and realize again how important this race is it is very good.”

The current Empire Super Sprint points leader led all 30 laps from the pole position by virtue of being the fastest timer to win his qualifying heat race. Poirier was the Bicknell Racing Products Fastest Canadian in Kears Speed Shop Time Trials, clocking in second overall. His strong performance in time trials forced him to run up from sixth in his heat to regain his time, which he was able to do.

“I was not going to lay back like some guys,” said the former big block modified standout, who has experience in time trials. “I just focused on being as fast as I could at all times.”

In the heat race, Poirier found himself slicing through the field as Brett Mann and Rob Pietz ran each other hard for the lead. This battle allowed Poirier to reel them in and pick up the win in Heat No. 2.

Even though he was never challenged by other competitors for the lead, Poirier had plenty of competition to deal with in the form of lapped traffic. Before the races second red flag on lap 15, Poirier had already lapped up to 13th place. With the final 15 laps running under a non-stop green flag, “The Fireball” was able to move by another four guys to lap inside of the top-10.

“I lost a race at Utica-Rome earlier this year to Chuck Hebing because I was cautious in lapped cars,” said the 2006 North American 360 Rookie of the Year. “I knew in this race I had to keep running hard because I did not want to give this one away.”

“We have just figured something out over the last few weeks with this new car,” said Poirier, who has now won three of his last four races after a pair of wins two weeks ago with the Empire Super Sprints. “We just hit on something with our motors to run these big slick tracks and the car has been so good.”

While Poirier’s win was a repeat, so too was the impressive runner-up performance by another second year modified refuge: Jason Barney.
In only his 12th start of the year, the Constantia, NY hot shoe found himself in a loaded Heat No. 5 trying to move his way through the pack. Even though he was the only one of the 76 sprint cars to find the sweet spot in the middle groove of turn No. 1, the E&V Energy/ Walton’s Farm and Auto Repair No. 87 came up just short of the heat win with Chuck Hebing scoring that race’s win.

The second place showing would force Barney to start the feature in 11th, a position he wouldn’t last in for long. Barney was in the top-five early in the event and found himself battling with Dustin Daggett for second at the race’s midway point.

After the runner-up in the 2007 ASCS Patriots’ A-Verdi King of CNY Series cleared the No. 2m, for second, he stayed about two to three seconds behind leader Poirier, and just could not gain enough to improve on last year’s second place run.

“I was better on longer runs so I don’t think more cautions would have helped us,” said Barney. “That 28fm has been good all year and so when you lose to him and beat 70-something other guys, it’s still a decent night.”

While the top two were the same as last year, Kevin Job was a pleasant surprise on the night, placing third. The Campbellville, Ontario competitor saw his first dirt track race at the 2005 CSCN and two years later, the sophomore sensation rounded out the podium finishers on Saturday Night.

Job worked around Dustin Daggett in the late stages, who faded in the Mott Motorsports entry. Daggett’s fourth place finish was the second time in three years he has ended up in that position in the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals.

While it was a cold night in Southern Ontario, Dain Naida continued to show why he is riding a hot streak at the Ohsweken Speedway. Using a new Gaerte Power plant, Naida won Heat No. 1 and hung strong in the top-five all night to score an impressive finish for the Michigan Competitor.

Bryan Howland picked up the quick time by .273 seconds, as well as had the best-appearing car award with his No. 51 hooked up at a 13.614. After coming up just short of a win in his heat, Howland ran to his best CSCN finish in sixth.

Rick Wilson, who has found torment in past CSCN’s, finished in seventh. Wilson was the winner of the Village Pizza Ohsweken Shootout and fought from a starting spot deep in the field to remain on the lead lap.

Jeff Cook finished in eighth, the third top-10 in as many tries at the Canadian Nationals. He is the only driver to achieve that feat and only one of three to make every CSCN A-Main.

Cook held off fierce competition from B-Main No. 3 Winner Mike Stelter, as well as Indiana’s Brett Mann, who rounded out the top-10.

Twenty-six cars started the 30-lap A-Main, with only 19 left standing at the end. Two red flags for single car flips were the only stoppages in the feature. One was for Blake Breen tipping over in turn two on the second lap, and the other was of more spectacular variety as Chuck Hebing, who was battling nose wing problems, hit the outside wall while pitching his car into turn three running in fourth. It wadded up the potent No. 45 and sent the “Cobra” for a wild ride for the second year in a row at Ohsweken on September 15.

Gary Fast along with J.R. Stewart were the provisional starters in the A-Main. Stewart was one of the highlights of the night when he picked up a cool $1,000, as he won the 1st Annual Dave MacLeod Mr. Sprint Car 1-on-1 Challenge. Stewart and Chuck Hebing swapped the lead three times on the final of three circuits of the Championship Round to win as an alternate for Mike Dussel, who was one of the NRA representatives for this event that flipped in time trials.

The only other two red flags on the night came when Justin Martin flipped hard in time trials in turn one and the other for Ontario’s Bob Crawford tumbling in turn two on the second lap of the Ohsweken Shootout.

Also featured on the night were multiple rides in the two-seat non-winged sprint, driven by Dick Mahoney, equipped with the engine that Jack Hewitt used to win the sprint car leg of his historic Four Crown sweep at Eldora Speedway.

An astounding 76 cars signed into the pit area, with six states and two provinces represented. A great crowd was on hand for this annual event, with one lucky fan walking away with over $12,600 in the 50/50 raffle.
Arrow Express Canadian Sprint Car Nationals Results: 9/15/07, Ohsweken Speedway, Ohsweken, Ontario.